Kochi, Nov 8 (IANS) The launch of Kerala’s third Vande Bharat Express — connecting Ernakulam with Bengaluru — turned into a celebration of music and emotion on Saturday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the service virtually from Varanasi.

At the Ernakulam South railway station, where a special ceremony was held, school students rendered patriotic songs inside the coaches, lending a festive touch to the inaugural run. Kerala Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar, Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian, State Law Minister P. Rajeeve, and MPs Hibi Eden and T.J. Vinod were among those present to flag off the train in person.

Southern Railway called it a “melody of joy,” capturing the excitement of passengers and staff as the blue-and-white semi-high-speed train rolled out to a rousing send-off.

Originally scheduled for 8 a.m., the service departed around 8.45 a.m.

The Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express completed its successful trial run just a day earlier and now joins the State’s growing fleet of semi-high-speed trains that are redefining short-distance intercity travel.

At the same ceremony, the Prime Minister also inaugurated four other Vande Bharat services from Varanasi, linking Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Firozpur, and Delhi, besides the Ernakulam-Bengaluru stretch.

The new train will cover 608 km in nine hours with 11 stops — Thrissur, Shoranur, Palakkad, Podanur, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Krishnarajapuram, and KSR Bengaluru.

It will depart Ernakulam at 2.20 p.m. and reach Bengaluru at 11 p.m. The return service will leave Bengaluru at 5.10 a.m. and arrive in Ernakulam at 1.50 p.m.

Railway officials said the new service will significantly enhance connectivity between Kerala’s commercial hub and Karnataka’s technology capital, catering to business travellers, students, and tourists alike.

It also marks another milestone in the government’s push to expand the Vande Bharat network across southern India.

With songs, cheers and enthusiastic crowds marking its debut, the train set off not just as a mode of travel but as a symbol of speed, comfort and the shared aspirations of two neighbouring states.

–IANS

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